One of the most popular power saws in use today is the radial arm saw. In the United States there are over 7 million radial arm saws, utilized by both professional carpenters and woodworkers, as well as by amatuer hobbyists.
Proper alignment of the radial arm saw is vital to the satisfactory use of the saw. Proper alignment includes insuring that the rip fence or fence slot is truly perpendicular to the blade travel when the saw is set in the crosscut mode, that the saw blade is perpendicular to the saw table, and that the fore and aft edges of the saw blade form a line parallel to the line of blade travel to avoid the condition known as heeling.
The maintenance of proper alignment is important for the safety of the operator, for the realization of a satisfactory work product, and for the life of the equipment. The operator may be injured if the material being cut is thrown by the saw blade toward the operator, a condition known as kickback. Kickback can be caused by improper alignment which results in the pinching of the saw blade by the material being cut. Further, the operator's hand may be drawn into the saw blade by a kickback. The saw blade is more likely to be pinched if the saw blade is heeling.
For the professional carpenter or woodworker, a precise setting of the saw blade is necessary to his or her livelihood. To the amatuer, proper alignment results in a better product and encourages a sustained interest in the use of the radial arm saw.
A properly aligned radial arm saw reduces the stresses placed upon the saw components, thus extending the life of the equipment. Proper alignment also reduces saw blade wear, lowering the expense of operating the radial arm saw.
The existing methods and devices used for the alignment of radial arm saws involve resort to measuring devices and guages which check the alignment of the saw blade but which do not actually align the saw blade. The resulting alignment procedures are ones of trial and error which are time consuming and not necessarily accurate. Furthermore, these methods are often adversely effected by the tooth set of the blade, and do not readily provide alignment throughout the blade travel.
Radial arm saws are easily knocked out of alignment necessitating frequent realignment. Even normal use of the radial arm saw can cause the saw to become misaligned. Transportation or shipping of the radial arm saw and the use of dull saw blades also can result in misalignment.
There is clearly a need for a radial arm saw alignment device which effects proper alignment of the saw blade without the need for measuring devices and gauges, and which can be efficiently used by both the professional and amatuer carpenter.